MURPHY’S LAW: Princeton University men’s hockey player Ian Murphy controls the puck in a game last season. Senior forward Murphy figures to trigger the Tiger offense this season after leading Princeton in scoring last year with 30 points on 15 goals and 15 assists. The Tigers start their 2023-24 season by playing at Harvard on November 3. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Bouncing back from a rough start last winter, the Princeton University men’s hockey team caught fire in the middle of the season.

Putting together a 9-6 stretch after losing six of its first eight games, Princeton posted a number of notable wins in that span, including victories over Colorado College, RIT, No. 12 Providence, Clarkson, and Dartmouth. An injury to star goalie Ethan Pearson hampered the Tigers down the stretch, but they were still able to defeat Union in the first round of the ECAC Hockey playoffs on the way to a 13-19 final record.

As Princeton head coach Ron Fogarty looks ahead to the 2023-24 campaign, he believes his returning players can build on that solid stretch heading into this winter.

“It was a resilient group last year and that resiliency is back with an additional year of understanding the new structure and systems that we put in last year,” said Fogarty, whose team opens the season by playing at Harvard on November 3. “I am quite confident that we are going to have a good year.”

The positive vibe around the team as it has prepared for the season has been giving Fogarty confidence.

“I love our preseason; it is high energy with high expectations from our group,” said Fogarty. “They are working very hard and meticulously on areas to be ready for the season.”

Fogarty is expecting energetic play from his corps of forwards.

“I see a group of 15 forwards that can be interchangeable,” said Fogarty. “They are all playing hard, heavy on the puck, and have goal; scoring ability. I can tell you I love this group. I really like what we have up front with all four classes. They have really come together as a team with a unified goal.”

That group is led by seniors Ian Murphy (15 goals and 15 assists in 2023-24), Nick Seitz (9 goals, 6 assists), Adam Robbins (5 goals, 9 assists), Joe Berg (3 goals, 1 assist), and Mackenzie Merriman

“I see five seniors on our roster that will be playing each night up front; that gives us a lot more experience than we have over the last couple of years coming out of COVID,” said Fogarty. “Then we are returning with Brendan Gorman (5 goals, 15 assists), he had a terrific first year. Jack Cronin (12 goals, 6 assists) is a power play and a 5-on-5 threat.”

The squad’s blue liners are spearheaded by seniors Mike Kennedy (1 goal, 4 assists) and Nick Carabin (1 goal, 10 assists).

“The two seniors are great leaders for the team,” said Fogarty, whose retuning defensemen also include junior Noah de la Durantaye (4 goals, 13 assists) and sophomore Nick Marciano (1 goals, 1 assist). “Mike and Nick are hard workers and the heart and soul of that d-corps and the rest of the guys follow. It is all collective, our structure is good. We can still clean up a little. We are ahead of schedule on the defensive part of it. We just have to be a little bit better offensively.”

At goalie, Princeton features junior Pearson (2.71 goals against average, .903 save percentage in 2022-23) along with promising freshmen Connor Callaghan and Arthur Smith.

“Ethan looks really good and so does Connor and Arthur; it is the deepest we have been in goal since I have been here, all three can play,” said Fogarty. “Ethan deserves the opportunity to come back from his injury and start for us against Harvard. Connor and Arthur are very good goaltenders and capable of taking the net. I am confident that I can put them in any time.”

In Fogarty’s view, piling up some wins in the early going will be critical for this year’s squad to develop confidence.

“Success is going to be getting off to a good start; it took us time last year for our modified system and structure to take place and we didn’t have the best start in the first three weekends,” said Fogarty. “You look at the first five of the six games. It is half of the Ivy schedule and that is important for us to capture those wins right away, and then we play the defending ECAC Hockey champions in Colgate. Our first six games are critical for us to obtain one of our goals, to win an Ivy championship, and then to see what we can do against the defending champions Colgate.”

Opening at Harvard this Friday night will give the Tigers an immediate litmus test.

“We are excited for it, every year you have new teams and new players,” said Fogarty. “It is game No. 1, period No. 1, against Harvard. They are going to have a skilled team again, they will reload. We have to worry about what we need to do to be successful in that game.”